Whip out the blender to make fall drinks reminiscent of summer. If you prefer nonalcoholic drinks, fruit smoothies are a tasty way to prune your fruit bowl. Most smoothies start with crushed ice and milk, ice cream, or yogurt. Apple purists can use apple sauce and cider instead of milk or yogurt.

To your foundation, add whatever fruit you want.
Peaches, bananas, and strawberries are great paired with apples, but there are no rules. Note: Core, and if you prefer pulp-free beverages, peel your apples before adding them to the blender.

For an alcoholic cocktail, try apple sangria. Let apples dominate: Add generous amounts of juice and diced fruit to your basic sangria recipe. While everyone makes sangria slightly differently, its basic components include red wine, fruit juice, soda water, chopped fruit, and, if you like it fancy, brandy or a flavored liqueur.

Get started with the following recipe, which you can modify to feature apples.

Red wine sangria
Adapted from Cambridge hot-spot Dali
Serves 10

1 pint strawberries, sliced
2 peaches, pitted and sliced
1 large orange, sliced
1/2 cup sugar
1/2 cup brandy
1/4 cup orange brandy (such as Grand Marnier)
1/2 cup orange juice
1-1 1/2 bottles dry red Spanish wine (such as Vina Borgia)
Club soda or sparkling water, to taste

1. In a large bowl, combine the strawberries, peaches, and orange.
2. Add the sugar, brandy, orange brandy, and orange juice. Stir gently, cover tightly, and refrigerate overnight.
3. Taste the mixture and add more sugar if you like. If it is too sweet, add wine to dilute it. Pour over ice, add a splash of soda water, and garnish with a piece of fruit from the sangria.

For a nonalcoholic version, try Martha Stewart's red–apple sangria